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Evidence that the Lunar Cycle Influences Human Sleep

Overview of attention for article published in Current Biology, July 2013
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  • In the top 5% of all research outputs scored by Altmetric
  • Among the highest-scoring outputs from this source (#47 of 14,757)
  • High Attention Score compared to outputs of the same age (99th percentile)
  • High Attention Score compared to outputs of the same age and source (99th percentile)

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Title
Evidence that the Lunar Cycle Influences Human Sleep
Published in
Current Biology, July 2013
DOI 10.1016/j.cub.2013.06.029
Pubmed ID
Authors

Christian Cajochen, Songül Altanay-Ekici, Mirjam Münch, Sylvia Frey, Vera Knoblauch, Anna Wirz-Justice

Abstract

Endogenous rhythms of circalunar periodicity (∼29.5 days) and their underlying molecular and genetic basis have been demonstrated in a number of marine species [1, 2]. In contrast, there is a great deal of folklore but no consistent association of moon cycles with human physiology and behavior [3]. Here we show that subjective and objective measures of sleep vary according to lunar phase and thus may reflect circalunar rhythmicity in humans. To exclude confounders such as increased light at night or the potential bias in perception regarding a lunar influence on sleep, we retrospectively analyzed sleep structure, electroencephalographic activity during non-rapid-eye-movement (NREM) sleep, and secretion of the hormones melatonin and cortisol found under stringently controlled laboratory conditions in a cross-sectional setting. At no point during and after the study were volunteers or investigators aware of the a posteriori analysis relative to lunar phase. We found that around full moon, electroencephalogram (EEG) delta activity during NREM sleep, an indicator of deep sleep, decreased by 30%, time to fall asleep increased by 5 min, and EEG-assessed total sleep duration was reduced by 20 min. These changes were associated with a decrease in subjective sleep quality and diminished endogenous melatonin levels. This is the first reliable evidence that a lunar rhythm can modulate sleep structure in humans when measured under the highly controlled conditions of a circadian laboratory study protocol without time cues.

X Demographics

X Demographics

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Mendeley readers

Mendeley readers

The data shown below were compiled from readership statistics for 430 Mendeley readers of this research output. Click here to see the associated Mendeley record.

Geographical breakdown

Country Count As %
Germany 9 2%
United Kingdom 4 <1%
Spain 4 <1%
United States 4 <1%
Portugal 3 <1%
Japan 3 <1%
Netherlands 2 <1%
Czechia 2 <1%
Austria 2 <1%
Other 16 4%
Unknown 381 89%

Demographic breakdown

Readers by professional status Count As %
Researcher 81 19%
Student > Ph. D. Student 75 17%
Student > Bachelor 52 12%
Student > Master 43 10%
Professor 25 6%
Other 93 22%
Unknown 61 14%
Readers by discipline Count As %
Agricultural and Biological Sciences 113 26%
Psychology 47 11%
Medicine and Dentistry 40 9%
Neuroscience 31 7%
Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology 26 6%
Other 90 21%
Unknown 83 19%
Attention Score in Context

Attention Score in Context

This research output has an Altmetric Attention Score of 2023. This is our high-level measure of the quality and quantity of online attention that it has received. This Attention Score, as well as the ranking and number of research outputs shown below, was calculated when the research output was last mentioned on 24 March 2024.
All research outputs
#4,548
of 25,587,485 outputs
Outputs from Current Biology
#47
of 14,757 outputs
Outputs of similar age
#10
of 210,370 outputs
Outputs of similar age from Current Biology
#2
of 162 outputs
Altmetric has tracked 25,587,485 research outputs across all sources so far. Compared to these this one has done particularly well and is in the 99th percentile: it's in the top 5% of all research outputs ever tracked by Altmetric.
So far Altmetric has tracked 14,757 research outputs from this source. They typically receive a lot more attention than average, with a mean Attention Score of 62.1. This one has done particularly well, scoring higher than 99% of its peers.
Older research outputs will score higher simply because they've had more time to accumulate mentions. To account for age we can compare this Altmetric Attention Score to the 210,370 tracked outputs that were published within six weeks on either side of this one in any source. This one has done particularly well, scoring higher than 99% of its contemporaries.
We're also able to compare this research output to 162 others from the same source and published within six weeks on either side of this one. This one has done particularly well, scoring higher than 99% of its contemporaries.